Method and system for remote communication of telematics data

Abstract

The invention embodies a remote communication device and a remote communication system. The invention also embodies a communication protocol and method to communicate between remote devices and data service centers. During the transmission, the data is modulated into a voice signal, instead of using expensive wideband resources, which reduce the bandwidth and the cost of the communication. The invention also increases the security of the data transmissions.

1 . A remote communication method between a mobile telematics transmitting device and a service or back-office center, comprising: a sender which modulates data into voice signals which are then transmitted over a wireless voice channel; a receiver which receives the voice signals over the voice channel and demodulates the voice signals back to data.  
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein a method of transmitting data through a voice channel, said data having a bit distribution, said method comprising the steps of: 
 a) Providing a transmitter having a VOCODER, said transmitter operable over said voice channel;    b) Encoding said data to produce encoded data, said encoded data having a randomized bit distribution;    c) Creating a modulated signal representing said encoded data; and,    d) Transmitting said modulated signal with said transmitter over said voice channel.    Whereby said encoded data is transmitted via said voice channel without being suppressed by said VOCODER.    
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the method of  claim 2  wherein creating step c) comprises Phase Shift Key.  
   
   
       4 . The methods of  claim 1 , wherein further comprising the steps of: 
 a) Providing a receiver having access to said voice channel;    b) Receiving said modulated signal;    c) Demodulating said modulated signal to obtain a copy of said encoded data; and,    d) Decoding said copy of said encoded data to obtain a copy of said data;    Whereby said data is transmitted to said receiver.    
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the sender sets a time-out timer after sending the frames; the sender resends the frames which are not acknowledged after the timer timing out; the task of sender will return to the caller with a success if all frames have been acknowledged, or with a failure if not all frames have been acknowledged after a limited numbers of re-sends.  
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the sender is the telematics device, the receiver is the service center or back office.  
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the sender is the service center or back office, the receiver is the telematics device.  
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the voice channel includes public or private cell phone networks.  
   
   
       9 . A remote telematics device, including: an information-collection module, a voice-signal and control modules. The information-collection module gathers remote operating data; the voice-signal module consisting of one sub-module, modulates the transmitted data to voice signals and other sub-module demodulates voice signals to received data. The control module processes and stores data from the information-collection module; generates reports to a service center or back office; communicates with public/private voice channel networks; sends and receives data from the voice-signal module.  
   
   
       10 . The device of  claim 9 , wherein the information-collection module includes remote sensors.  
   
   
       11 . The device of  claim 9 , wherein the voice-signal module includes one modulator modulating data into voice signals and other demodulator demodulating voice signals into data.  
   
   
       12 . The device of  claim 9 , wherein the control module includes hardware interfaces, functional interface, and communication protocols. The hardware interfaces are expressed as device drivers; the functional interfaces send data to the voice-signal module, receive from the voice-signal module, and “read” or “write” from the device drivers. The communication protocols enclose the transmitting data into frames and assemble data from the receiving frames.  
   
   
       13 . The device of  claim 12 , wherein the device drivers include CAN bus, GPS processor, modem, RS232, RS485/J1708, J1850, and analog/digital interfaces.  
   
   
       14 . The device of  claim 9 , wherein the voice channel includes public cell phone networks.  
   
   
       15 . A remote communication system, including remote telematics devices and service center or back office. The remote telematics device includes information-collection, voice-signal, and control modules. The information-collection module is used to gather remote operating data; the voice-signal module includes a sending unit to modulate data into voice signals, a receiving unit to demodulate the voice signals to data; the control module processes, stores the remote operating data from the information-collection module, generates reports, communicates with wireless networks, sends and receives from the voice-signal module. 
 The service center or back office includes voice-signal module and control module. The voice-signal module consists of a sending unit which modulates data into voice signals that are transmitted by a voice channel, a receiving unit which demodulates voice signal from a voice channel into data. The control module sends data to the voice-signal module, receives data from the voice-signal module.    
   
   
       16 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the service center or back office is connected to the corporation's LAN or Internet.  
   
   
       17 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the information-collection module includes remote operating sensors.  
   
   
       18 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the voice-signal module includes one modulator modulating data into voice signals and other demodulator demodulating voice signals into data.  
   
   
       19 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the received data is decrypted or decoded back to the original sent data.  
   
   
       20 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the control module includes hardware interfaces, functional interfaces, and communication protocols. The hardware interfaces are expressed as device drivers; the functional interfaces send data to the voice-signal module, receive from the voice-signal module, and “read” or “write” from the device drivers. The communication protocols enclose the transmitting data into frames and assemble data from the receiving frames.  
   
   
       21 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the device drivers include CAN bus, GPS processor, modem, RS232, RS485/J1708, J1850, and analog/digital interfaces.  
   
   
       22 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the voice channel includes public cell phone networks.